Team Stats

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BALTIMORE – UMBC junior hitter Hannah
Schmidt (Catonsville, Md./Mount de Sales) and senior middle Emily
Witsaman (Medina, Ohio/Medina) recorded ten and 11 kills,
respectively, as the UMBC volleyball team swept its fifth
consecutive match, getting past Coppin State in three sets (25-15,
25-16, 25-14), Saturday afternoon on the second day of the Maddie
Bingaman Memorial Tournament at the RAC Arena.

Co-Tournament MVP Ali Goc (Oshawa,
Ontario/R.S. McLaughlin) sent down six winners against the Eagles
while leading UMBC (7-4) with 15 digs. For the weekend, the
reigning America East Player of the Week registered 24 kills and 31
digs as the Retrievers swept each of their three contests.
Witsaman also earned a spot on the All-Tournament squad after
sending down 28 put-aways on .500 hitting.

Freshman libero Casey Griffith (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper
Merion) was in double figures for digs for the ninth time in 11
contests this season, picking up 11 digs on Saturday. Senior
setter Mallory McIntyre (Winnipeg, Manitoba/St. Mary's Academy)
continued to keep the Retriever attack balanced, sending out 37
assists for a total of 102 helpers on the weekend and an 11.30
assists per set average.

Cindy Okpegbue put away 13 winners for Coppin State (3-8) to
pace all hitters and help earn her a spot on the All-Tournament
Team.

The hosts got off to a hot start, winning the first three points
courtesy of two kills by Witsaman and one by Goc. Coppin
rallied to pull even at 6-6, but could never grab the lead in the
opening frame. Leading 12-10, the Retrievers ran off four
consecutive points which lead to a 13-5 run, and the hosts went on
to win the opener, 25-15.

In the second set, UMBC used another early run to pull ahead,
and once again held off the visitors' charge. Witsaman was
perfect in the set, recording four kills on four swings while
Schmidt chipped in three winners. After the Eagles cut
the lead to three, 19-16, UMBC won the next six behind the serving
of senior Rebecca
Garrigues (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif/Rancho Cucamonga), to win
the set, 25-16.

Set three proved more of the same as UMBC jumped out to an early
lead and never let up, earning the sweep. McIntyre sent out
11 assists to five different attackers in the frame to finish her
weekend.

The Retrievers now have the midweek off from competition before
traveling to Morgantown, W. Va. for the Gold and Blue Players
Challenge at the University of West Virginia. UMBC will take
on Liberty, Georgetown, and host WVU while in the Mountaineer
State.

DAWG BITES

- UMBC
improved its unbeaten record against Coppin State and now leads the
all-time series 14-0-1.

- The
Retrievers have now won their last 17 sets dating back to their
five-set victory at Loyola (Md.) when they won the final two
frames.